Aarmau: Remember Me, Remember Us, Just Remember

Chapter 6

They're all surprised to see Travis walk in followed closely by Rowan. Rowan growls his name as Travis smiles at everyone in the room. "Heeeey everyone! I'm home!"

They all gasp in shock while Katelyn rushes to throw her arms around him and then punch him, "Travis! When did you get here and why didn't you tell us you were coming?!"

Travis blushes hearing the excitement in Katelyn's voice, "OWWW! Well, I wanted to surprise everyone."

Rowan senses the tension in the room, "What's going on in here?"

Travis looks at Aphmau and frowns, "Why is Aph asleep?"

Melissa moves around the bed and glances between them, "They're still giving her the medicine to keep her asleep but we don't think it's really necessary and I was just going to tell the nurse here that. But Emmalyn, she was just insisting she can hear Aph screaming."

Travis' eyes widen in shock as he turns to the nurse, "Keep her asleep?! Screaming?! If it's what I think it is that stuff doesn't make you sleep. It paralyzes you. You are still fully aware of everything going on around you and it's terrifying. It's subtle at first but your body is locked into place. You can't even blink. Wait! That explains a lot over the last year. How long have you been giving her that stuff?"

The nurses mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. He instantly curls in on himself and tries to back away from all the angry glares aimed at him, "Look I'm only doing my job."

Rowan steps up behind him and places a firm hand on his shoulder, "Son, something tells me you might just want to undo your job."

The nurse clutches his medical kit against his chest and shakes his head, "That's not what I was told to do!"

Katelyn steps in front of him and glances at Travis, "Travis, how do you know this? And you, what exactly where you told to do?"

Travis steps up beside Katelyn, "They started giving me something they said would help me heal faster. After that I started feeling tired all the time and I had a hard time moving or even thinking straight. Luckily my nurse was sympathetic. When I stopped taking it, I started feeling better. My Irene I didn't realize they were doing the same to Aph. With Aaron gone I just thought she was depressed."

The nurse swallows hard and begins to shake, "Irene, help me! We are not to kill her but to make sure she doesn't wake up."

Melissa gasps, "What in the hell?! You ask Irene for help but do you not know she probably is Irene?!"

The nurse's eyes dart to Aphmau's still form and he drops down to his knees, "I... I didn't know. They don't tell us anything but the job we're supposed to do. I can reverse it!"

Aaron takes a step toward him with a growl in the back of his throat, "Then do it!"

On instinct Lucinda glances around the room, "If Emmalyn is right, this is not going to be pretty everyone so be prepared."

Katelyn whips her head toward Lucinda, "What do you mean?!"

The nurse opens his case with shaky hands and they watch as he pulls out a different colored syringe. He quickly moves to Aphmau's side and inserts the needle into the I.V. port.

Aaron growls as he administers the new medicine and then steps back toward Rowan. Within seconds the steady beat of her heart begins to pick up speed like she's running a marathon and her breathing becomes very shallow. They all watch as her fingers and ears begin to twitch and her eyes move beneath their lids.

They all seem to hold their breath as her eyelids flicker and begin to open. Tears fill her eyes and spill over her lashes but she doesn't make a sound as she takes in her surroundings.

Seconds tick by as they begin to believe Lucinda's warning was unnecessary when a heart wrenching scream fills the air. Everyone but Aaron instinctively covers their ears and they all begin to cry. Where has he heard that scream before?!

A sudden image flashes before him. Aphmau is on the floor with a wound near her heart, the light is leaving her eyes and her heartbeat stopping causes Aaron to stiffen. He hears himself pleading with her not to leave him. 

The image vanishes. He doesn't know where it came from but it causes his own heart to beat faster and without thinking he moves to Aphmau's side, sits on the edge of her bed and pulls her into his arms. Only Melissa and Garroth can hear him whispering to her to let her know they're all there with her and that she's not alone.

Sobs continue to wrack her weakened body and it takes all her strength to close her arms around him. Constantly being surrounded by darkness, Aphmau has no idea how long she's been screaming for someone to help her or put her out of her mystery.

They sit like that for what seems like an eternity until she no longer has the energy left to cry. Her arms drop to the bed and just before she passes out, she whispers Aaron's name.